Children Working to the Limit for Fame (China Circus Documentary)

China's Wuqiao School of Acrobatic Arts trains today's children to be tomorrow's acrobatic stars. The top students at this elite school train all day every day to work towards their dreams. But is the payoff worth it?
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[@hollyodii5969]

It broke my heart to see the children crying.

[@merricc6911]

Holly odii same here :’(

[@ramonakent356]

Holly odii China don’t give a shit! All they care about is doing better than everybody else, however in their efforts a lot of them fail miserably due to their own cruel endeavors.

[@oliviagraham9798]

Who knows the horrors that those children face in silence. Away from their parents and protection. I do not trust that all of those "coaches" had good intentions with the children. You could see though their faces the feelings they had towards the coach.

[@ln8260]

Looks like this was filmed around 2006/7, I wonder what became of them, they will be adults now

[@arthantarpujari6669]

Unemployed due to covid I guess

[@melaniewalker5226]

Probably crippled poor things 😪.

[@ln8260]

@Asha Andrew no it was uploaded in 2019 but it's an old doc

[@EmilyElizabethxox]

The Chinese economy isn’t a mess solely because of COVID. It’s because of their leadership. But yes, more than likely now struggling. Hopefully at least some of them went on to being on a national team, but all it takes is one accident… The little girl featured was sooo talented, but gymnastics (like ice skating) is especially brutal to maintain once a girl hits puberty because you have to adapt to your new center of gravity. I hope she continued to do well, but she was probably replaced by the next young prodigy.

[@Twsuf1]

The Chinese are the Best Acrobats 🇲🇽 🇺🇸 Beautiful Culture & Cuisine

[@Koko-bm8lm]

I'm not a PE expert but I don't think crying while stretching is normal. I just can't imagine the pain all these must endure. Bless them

[@zevirathell203]

I live in china for 4 years from age 8-12, went to 3 different elementary schools for a semester each year and homeschooled the other half. I can assure you this video doesn't show what they really go through as in the teachers constantly yelling and punishing. They are acting much nicer for the cameras. I'm sure these kids go through legit hell when the cameras aren't there. I've seen a teacher flip a 8 year olds students desk over with great force and scold him in front of the whole class until his parents came to the school after the teacher called them and they took him home right away and I'm certain he got punished severely when he got home. All for either forgetting his homework or getting a 70% on his homework assignment I dont remember. Chinese people are extremely nice and will welcome you into their home and feed you, want to get to know you but when it comes to their children. They are insane but having 4 times the competition for jobs and college as we do it's very understandable.

[@zevirathell203]

They are incredibly hardworking whether they work in a job making a USD equivalent of $50 an hour or $2 an hour and never complain. Highest respect for them. And I lived there from 2008-2012 btw

[@bridgetarmstrong2606]

Yes of course the teachers don't show u how they really treat them on camera🙄

[@oliviagraham9798]

Yes, I can see that very clearly. Also, I notice that the teacher seems to have a very strange glare and expression around the young girls & some younger boys. I would like to hear stories of children who have come out of those schools. Outside of the protection of their parents who knows the horrors that many children could be facing in silence.

[@CommonOddity_]

This is amazing to watch! The dedication of these kids, the sacrifice from the families. It is amazing! It is nice to see the traditions being maintained. This was a very enjoyable documentary.

[@pizrux6592]

It’s not about dedication or sacrifice it’s about abuse, Chinese not caring about their young, and the horrors the Chinese put their children through

[@carmelmulroy6459]

It's so sad. Better to have a simple life than be worked like this.

[@silolodrawing7551]

They are so talented

[@crazylady61]

This seems almost cruel...it's heartbreaking.

[@mzluv6903]

If this isnt child abuse than i dont know what is...seen enough and moving on to another documentary

[@arthantarpujari6669]

That girls concentration while handstand on the neck is amazing

[@leiasclaws1373]

These kids are so amazing and strong 💪💪🙏❤

[@Wheelstar72]

Are these children taught reading and writing etc.. Our just acrobatics

[@brokeannbroken2547]

When the child cried before the stretching exercise broke my heart, knowing the cameras were the only thing stopping from worse torture. I think the parents know the pain,and some children will have lifelong disabilities I couldn't watch my child suffer, but I can understand probably most of these children are from poor families who cannot afford to send then to college. They maybe told they have a chance to go on and earn a lot of money. Everything is saving your reputation (saving face) in some Asian countries, with China taking it to far. I would like to see a follow up video to see how these children fared. With Pooh Xi I doubt any reports coming out of China are lies, or twisted truths.

[@carmelmulroy6459]

I know that's awful. That's why thrift stores are so great. Or try your best to buy American or only buy what you really need.

[@MPG-ub5ke]

This is beyond sad cruel treatment of these children. And all for what, so they can do acrobatics, but be illiterate?

[@AbsoluteZero6714]

And you’re right. Many don’t make it but during all those years of training didn’t receive the education normal children do. They often end up pretty much helpless and desperate just like many of their parents from impoverished backgrounds that send their kids to these schools as to supplement the family income and hopefully make it big someday.

[@godschildyes]

Thank you for having a heart for these abused and exploited children!

[@ramonakent356]

It makes it hard to understand the interpreter because Of the blaring panflute in the background! I mean come on, I just want to grab it and crack it across their head and that way I could hear a little better. Take this into consideration the next time you upload a video.📸🎥📽📹

[@kaijunasan4497]

This just hurts to watch 😢

[@nagisashingetsu9057]

How there doing what they love

[@SuperLaurajo]

These kids are talented x

[@jenniferelyse5134]

I am hypermobile ("double jointed"), technically these kinds of activities would have been natural for me, but I now know what price is paid by the body enduring this kind of routine work.

[@tilmanrotationalinvariant2257]

Thats completely different from actual flexibility training...

[@billiejoe2791]

I’m hyper mobile due to EDS, this is completely different, we couldn’t do these things easily, holding ourselves up like that, our muscles aren’t strong enough. Hence why we shouldn’t even be doing yoga. Sound so ignorant lmao

[@fabi57iamracer]

This is amazing.

[@yaffamusaikenzin1928]

It's very sad to see kids forced to do acrobatics. None if them looked happy to me. By the way they were crying and by their serious faces you can see that they are unhappy and are not enjoying what they do. I saw a video about a circus in the UK. The kids there look much happier. They get to choose what they want to do.Acrobatics is working to an extreme, but there is a BIG difference if the kid wants to learn and perform and is learning at his own pace and while doing other things too, and you see smiling and laughing kids than in China where the kids are forced to do things beyond theit capability to the point that 3 teachers hold a kid by force to strech him while the kid is crying. This is abuse. And you can see how serious and defeated the kids look.

[@DoDo-bo7ut]

Welcome to China stranger lol

[@sophiejaycolt4374]

Sadly' there is much more physical abuse and yelling coming from the coaches than there was in the film 😒

[@ramonakent356]

Why did they have to wear street clothes that actually hinders their ability to perform. Can’t the school provide the proper type of clothing? I’m also sure that dad looks very proud but only if his daughter wins or become superior to the others. If she wins it would change her family’s life for the better and elevate their poverty level to a much higher degree. If she loses and does not become as great as they hoped, she would go home in disgrace and would lose all of her dignity along with her credibility as an athletic artist.She would also hear criticism from her family about her failed efforts to prosper the family.

[@india239]

I watched a documentary about young gymnasts in China. One boy was very very unhappy and was treated very badly by his teacher. His father would not let him quit and he had a shitty time

[@bridgetarmstrong2606]

SAD TO BE FORCED TO DO SOMETHING THEY DON'T WANT TO DO ANYMORE😢

[@tilmanrotationalinvariant2257]

And he was successful and didnt't have to live in poverty as like 99%. Its easy to judge others from your first world couch...

[@AbsoluteZero6714]

That’s assuming he makes it. What they don’t show are those who end up not making the cut, yet are deprived of normal schooling like most other kids, and end up destitute.

[@scorpionattitude]

Quite a lot of them. No choice in the matter when some of the families start sacrificing their own kids to have a leg up on their situation after their own hard work gets them nowhere. They sure love taking these “academic and artistic” shortcuts to a better life supposedly. A damn shame. It is what it is though.

[@edenitebattleaxe]

I am Cirquish and I am proud

[@silolodrawing7551]

It's fabulous🤩

[@aaronzeng5339]

They are rlly good

[@maggiewu9869]

The living conditions looks worse than a jail

[@starsstripes2393]

I cant imagine the pain in their bodies,oneday they will be crippled old men and women😔

[@zuzanajuralova2369]

Wow

[@samanthajester3312]

I do aerial acrobatics which would be in a contemporary circus

[@ramonakent356]

Samantha Jester And your point would be what?

[@scorpionattitude]

Barely

[@userinpa1615]

This shit isn't even right these poor kids!!!

[@blondi_80]

They are all such amazing people, I could live easily in their country. ❤️

[@syaneylee964]

they practice 14 hours a day but do they learn anything acedemic

[@bridgetarmstrong2606]

2hrs a day

[@jak6744]

Bridget Armstrong wonder where are they now

[@xfitch3809]

‘Chinese always keep their promises! ‘ 😂😂😂😂

[@kimberlytousley3450]

❤️

[@arthantarpujari6669]

What if they get cramp while stretching and teachers talk it as just normal pain crying

[@oblivious2174]

Oh my god, don’t put that much pressure on kids.

[@sarahcooper6507]

Wicked wicked wicked

[@ST-iv2ej]

The amount of adverts in these documentaries is making them unwatchable

[@derinaries]

S T You would think they would realize thats why they are losing viewers...

[@gurpreetbhamra9752]

Download AdBlock Plus

[@MelinaAcosta569]

Get KZbin premium

[@scorpionattitude]

Looks like 7 or 8 for an hour long video. Pretty normal. You must watch Netflix and not much regular cable tv lmao. You pay for the luxury to cut out advertising.

[@meibo9179]

Tbh the thumbnail looks a like spine

[@maggiewu9869]

They don’t look like they are having fun... I sounded way more fun with gymnastics, they’re probably forced to say good stuff

[@AbsoluteZero6714]

What you see is only what they show on camera. What they don’t show I bet is far worse. Pretty much all of these children come from borderline impoverished families and are often forced into it by their parents as a means of lifting the family out of poverty and adding to the parent’s incomes starting from young. Those who don’t make it often end up in poverty themselves because they don’t get a childhood and educational opportunities to the same degree as normal kids. And there are many who, by the end of their careers as performers, suffer from all kinds of physical complications accumulated over the years.

[@ElleNullVoid]

I wonder why they become circus performers rather than gymnasts?

[@jessicakraus4983]

Maybe circus performers are failed gymnists? 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@SilviaLopez-eg9wh]

I think a career in the circus is longer, specially in China. Their Olympic team is always barely above the minimum required age, by the next Games they're "too old". Plus, there's probably more opportunities in the circus circuit, more slots to be filled.

[@sarahcooper6507]

Wicked child abuse

[@MaleahsDiary]

TAKE CARE OF YOUR MENTAL HEALTH! Success is dependent on that! (Please don't click on my face. I'm a germaphobe.)

[@sylwia7060]

No worries, I wont click on your face... SMFH

[@nightmareoracle]

Child abuse

[@sarahcooper6507]

Child abuse

[@ampoo1451]

This doesn't paint the reality

[@ethan4938]

Do cleaning

[@echnoarts8387]

They are weak not being happy for what they are doing